Priming and air removal systems and methods for dialysis

Abstract

A renal treatment fluid priming method includes priming an extracorporeal circuit connected to a patient with a physiologically compatible fluid, the extracorporeal circuit including an arterial line, a venous line and blood compartment of a blood filter; and pumping from a renal treatment fluid line in communication with the blood filter (i) pulling blood from the patient through the arterial line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the arterial line and the blood filter compartment into the renal treatment fluid line and (ii) pulling blood from the patient through the venous line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the venous line and the blood filter compartment into the renal treatment fluid line, such that a greater volume of blood is pulled from the patient via (i) and (ii) than a volume of the extracorporeal circuit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A renal treatment fluid priming method comprising:
 priming an extracorporeal circuit connected to a patient with a physiologically compatible fluid, the extracorporeal circuit including an arterial line, a venous line and blood compartment of a blood filter; and 
 pumping from a renal treatment fluid line in communication with the blood filter (i) pulling blood from the patient through the arterial line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the arterial line and the blood filter compartment into the renal treatment fluid line and (ii) pulling blood from the patient through the venous line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the venous line and the blood filter compartment into the renal treatment fluid line, 
 such that a greater volume of blood is pulled from the patient via (i) and (ii) than a volume of the extracorporeal circuit. 
 
     
     
       2. The priming method of  claim 1 , wherein the physiologically compatible fluid includes saline, and which includes pumping one of dialysate and infusate in the renal treatment fluid line initially to perform (i) or (ii). 
     
     
       3. The priming method of  claim 1 , wherein the physiologically compatible fluid includes one of dialysate and infusate. 
     
     
       4. The priming method of  claim 1 , which includes flushing the physiologically compatible fluid through the blood filter compartment to a drain. 
     
     
       5. The priming method of  claim 1 , which includes flushing the physiologically compatible fluid through the blood filter compartment through pores formed in membranes located in the blood filter. 
     
     
       6. The priming method of  claim 1 , which includes additionally using an extracorporeal circuit pump to flush the physiologically compatible fluid from at least one of the arterial and venous lines. 
     
     
       7. The priming method of  claim 1 , which includes using a return line pump in the renal treatment fluid line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid from at least one of the arterial and venous lines. 
     
     
       8. The priming method of  claim 7 , wherein the return line pump is a drain line pump. 
     
     
       9. The priming method of  claim 1 , which includes priming the renal treatment fluid line with renal treatment fluid prior to the replacing steps. 
     
     
       10. The priming method of  claim 1 , which includes performing at least one of (i) and (ii) over a predetermined number of pump strokes. 
     
     
       11. The priming method of  claim 1 , which includes at least one of (i) closing a valve in the venous line when flushing the physiologically safe fluid through the arterial line; and (ii) closing a valve in the arterial line when flushing the physiologically safe fluid through the venous line. 
     
     
       12. The priming method of  claim 11 , which includes positioning the valve in the venous or arterial line near the filter. 
     
     
       13. The priming method of  claim 1 , which includes performing (i) and (ii) simultaneously. 
     
     
       14. A renal treatment fluid priming method comprising:
 priming an extracorporeal circuit connected to a patient with a physiologically compatible fluid, the extracorporeal circuit including an arterial line, a venous line and blood compartment of a blood filter; and 
 pumping from the extracorporeal circuit to (i) pull blood from the patient through the arterial line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the arterial line and the blood filter compartment into a renal treatment fluid line and (ii) pull blood from the patient through the venous line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid through the venous line and the blood filter compartment into the renal treatment fluid line, 
 such that a greater volume of blood is pulled from the patient via (i) and (ii) than a volume of the extracorporeal circuit. 
 
     
     
       15. The priming method of  claim 14 , wherein the physiologically compatible fluid includes one of saline, dialysate and infusate. 
     
     
       16. The priming method of  claim 14 , which includes flushing the physiologically compatible fluid through the blood filter compartment to a drain. 
     
     
       17. The priming method of  claim 14 , which includes flushing the physiologically compatible fluid through the blood filter compartment through pores formed in membranes located in the blood filter. 
     
     
       18. The priming method of  claim 14 , which includes additionally using dialysate circuit pump to flush the physiologically compatible fluid from at least one of the arterial and venous lines. 
     
     
       19. The priming method of  claim 14 , which includes additionally using a return line pump in the renal treatment fluid line to flush the physiologically compatible fluid from at least one of the arterial and venous lines. 
     
     
       20. The priming method of  claim 14 , which includes priming the renal treatment fluid line with renal treatment fluid prior to the replacing steps. 
     
     
       21. The priming method of  claim 14 , which includes performing at least one of (i) and (ii) over a predetermined number of pump strokes. 
     
     
       22. The priming method of  claim 14 , which includes at least one of (i) closing a valve in the venous line when flushing the physiologically safe fluid through the arterial line; and (ii) closing a valve in the arterial line when flushing the physiologically safe fluid through the venous line. 
     
     
       23. The priming method of  claim 14 , which includes performing (i) and (ii) simultaneously.